Elementary school cafeterias will be allowed to continue serving flavored milk such as chocolate and strawberry, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday. The Biden administration had initially floated a ban aimed at cutting consumption of added sugars by younger children.
The decision is one of several changes now locked in by the department's Food and Nutrition Service to its sweeping update to requirements that govern school meal programs. First proposed in February 2023, the updates are now set to take effect for the 2025 school year.
Vilsack said the department had fielded more than 136,000 comments on their initial proposal, which had been widely hailed by public health experts for creating limits for the first time on added sugars and stepping up targets to reduce sodium.
However, some groups also voiced frustration with the department over some proposals they worried would be difficult to meet.
"The proposed nutrition mandates are challenging for school meal programs due to ongoing supply chain and labor challenges," stated the School Nutrition Association in response to the proposal last year.
While school districts are expected to make efforts to comply with the new guidelines, USDA officials assured that those falling short would not face financial penalties. They believe that most districts will be able to meet the standards, despite concerns raised.
The Department emphasized that the cost of implementing the changes is minimal compared to the overall program expenses, accounting for only about 1% of the bill covered by school food service programs in the upcoming years.
USDA Secretary Vilsack expressed confidence in compliance, citing the industry's efforts to provide products that align with the standards during the transition period.
Some critics have raised concerns about the potential consequences of the USDA's plans to restrict unhealthy ingredients, suggesting that it could lead to more students opting out of school lunch or choosing even less healthy alternatives.
One of the proposals includes limiting flavored milk, as research indicated that it contributes significantly to added sugars in school meals. Flavored milk, particularly chocolate and strawberry varieties, accounts for approximately half of the added sugars consumed by students during lunch.
Some health experts and the dairy industry have argued that such a move would risk discouraging students from drinking milk altogether, potentially causing them to miss out on its nutritional benefits.
USDA Secretary Vilsack mentioned that the department had collaborated with the dairy industry and commended milk producers for their commitment to reducing added sugar in school milk products.
According to the USDA, over 90% of the milk processors supplying schools nationwide have agreed to reformulate their products to adhere to the new limits on added sugars in flavored milk.
"The challenge lies in ensuring that children not only have access to milk but also consume it. Many school nutrition officials have observed that children tend to prefer flavored milk," Vilsack stated.
Vilsack suggested that some school districts might opt not to offer chocolate and strawberry milk in order to comply with the stricter federal limits on added sugars in meals.
"We believed that this decision could be left to the discretion of individual school districts. It's a choice that each district can make," he added.
The final rule also does not go as far as the more aggressive sodium reductions that the department had proposed phasing in by 2030, which would have led to a 30% decrease in the sodium content of school lunches over a week.
Due to recent developments, schools will now only be required to "slightly reduce" sodium in their breakfasts and lunches by the Fall of 2027.
In a statement released by the department, it was mentioned that "This change still moves our children in the right direction and gives schools and industry the lead time they need to prepare."
The main reason behind this alteration, according to Vilsack, is the intervention of Congress. During the last budget process, a clause was passed which led to this decision. The final adjustments will result in a 10% reduction in sodium for school breakfast meals and a 15% reduction for school lunch meals.
"It's very consistent with the congressional directive," Vilsack stated. "In other words, Congress directed us to do this."
